Dental detector paste and its method of use



2,993,276 DENTAL DETECTOR PASTE AND ITS METHOD OF USE Bernard .lankelson, Seattle, Wash. N Drawing. Filed Sept. 25, 1956, Ser. No. 612,069 3 Claims. (Cl. '32-'1) This invention relates to a new and improved method of fitting or adjusting a denture base, denture clasp, denture frame works and dental inlays and to new and improved products used in practising the invention which embodies the novel method or technique.

It is believed to be relatively common knowledge that a dentist often encounters substantial difficulty in obtaining the proper fit or adjustment of full or partial dentures and in properly fitting inlays. He is often unable to see or determine a projection or obstacle which causes an uncomfortable or improper fit of a denture or which prevents an inlay from being properly seated.

In the past, numerous methods or techniques have been employed in an effort to minimize or overcome this problem. Also, dentists have employed various materials to assist them in more readily obtaining the desired re sults. For some time a composition of petroleum and zinc oxide has been used. Also soft waxes, aluminum stearates and mono-stearates have been used. For various reasons, which will hereinafter be explained, these substances or materials have not been adequate or satisfactory to produce the desired results.

It is, therefore, the principal object of this invention to provide a novel and improved method and new materials or products whereby a dentist may readily determine the location or locations on a denture, inlay or the like which need adjustment or removal so as to provide proper and comfortable fit or positioning in a persons mouth or tooth.

Another object of the invention is to substantially reduce the time and pains-taking care required to obtain the proper results.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel method which may be readily practiced without requiring elaborate or complicated instruction and education.

Still another object of the invention is to provide new and improved materials or products to be used in carrying out the method which have particular characteristics or properties that make possible the practice of the method.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be readily apparent and clearly understood from the detailed description of the materials and the method or pro cedure of their use as will hereinafter be more fully described.

As will hereinafter be more fully described.

As previously stated, the inventions herein described relate to methods and materials for determining areas or points wherein dentures and inlays or the like, are improperly formed or are over-extended so that they do not fit in proper position, cause discomfort to the patient or dislodgment of the denture. The problems relating to inlays result from the taking of imperfect impressions of a tooth to which the inlay is to be applied or in the forming of the inlay defects occur so that some area of the inlay touches prematurely and prevents the formed inlay from going into place or proper position relative to the tooth. The dentist may use the materials and method of my inventions for quickly and easily determining the locations of such defects.

The problems relating to full dentures and partial dentures are substantially more complex because of the fact that the base or clasp engages the tissues of the patients mouth so that when they are improperly fitted or formed undue pressures cause irritation and soreness of the engaged mouth tissues when the denture is in a normal Patented July 25, 1961 position or at rest. The pressure caused by an improper fit will distort the tissues and can result in the tissue being squeezed or pressed between the base and the bones of the mouth. To complicate this situation and thereby increase the problems, the soft tissues vary in thickness over the area engaged by the denture-supporting base so that the underlying bone is closer to the surface in some areas than in others. When pressure is applied to the denture base during function, the base is driven down and the soft tissue is compressed or displaced in the areas where the bone is closer to the surface. When the pressure is applied the soft tissues and the periosteum covering the bone are pinched between the denture base and the bone. This not only bruises the tissue but also prevents the base from being evenly supported over the entire area. In other words, the base must function under varying pressures and support should be evenly distributed over as great an area as possible. Therefore, it is necessary to have a means of rapidly identifying areas of excessive compression as they occur' during function.

The areas or places on the base causing discomfort and improperfit are not readily discernible by the dentist and usually only a slight modification or correction is required to eliminate the problem. By means of my new and improved method and materials, I am able to quickly and easily determine the areas where correction is required and thereby facilitate the proper fitting of the dentures with a minimum of effort by the dentist and minimum of discomfort to the patient.

I will now describe the materials or products utilized in carrying out my new and improved method. As previously stated, various materials have been used in the past in an efiort to produce or obtain the same results but for various reasons these previously used materials have not been entirely satisfactory. To produce the desired result the material must be capable of being readily applied to the surface of the base which engages the mouth tissues. Also, it must be readily removable. It must be applicable as an extremely thin film as thickness may disorient the base in its proper relationship to the tissues.

I have found that for the material to be satisfactory it must be free flowing and displaceable by the application of slight pressures. It must be Water repellant. That is, it must adhere to the dry surfaces of the denture and yet it must not adhere to the wet tissues of the mouth and yet it must be readily displaced or removed. It must not be too oily or have an objectionable taste. The proper consistency is extremely important. If the material is too soft and runny it will tend to adhere to the tissues or run and streak on the denture base. If the material is too firm, it will not be readily displaced under normal or customary pressures.

The material which I have invented is in the form or consistency of a paste. It is semi-fluid and free flowing to the extent that is readily displaced by pressure but not so soft as to run and smear. Another important characteristic is that the consistency is maintained over a wide range of temperature.

The base or main ingredient of the paste is a silicone compound. I am presently using a product supplied by Dow-Corning Co. under the designation DC-4. The characteristics of this material are as follows: A smooth homogeneous translucent material with the consistency of petrolatum. It is odorless, tasteless and physiologically harmless, nonvolatile and free from abrasive particles. It retains its consistency from 70 to 400 F. It does not have the stickiness of other grease-like silicone compounds and has less tendency to stick to mouth tissues.

To this base material I add a more tacky silicone material which is also obtained from Dow-Corning under the designation DC-200. This material provides added release from the tissues. The characteristics are as follows: It is practically inert physiologically, low surface tension, insoluble in water, highly water repellant, stable consistency over wide temperature range, nonvolatile at normal temperatures. It is added to give the proper consistency and to lessen tendency to stick to mouth tissues. Its consistency is approximately 60,060 centistokes.

A third substance is added to the mixture of these materials to give color to the paste composition. This material may be zinc oxide or a similar material.

The materials mixed or blended together are in the portions of 100 parts by weight of DC-4, 40 parts DC- 200 and 30 parts zinc oxide. The product produced by this mixture is a paste which has all of the desired and required characteristics; The consistency is not too soft so that it runs or too hard so that it does notregister readily; it is water 'repellant; it is easily applied and removed, and it will not adhere to the mouth tissues.

Tests indicate the consistency of the mixture is between A.S.T.M. 245 and 265 as measured under A.S.T.M. D2l748. Some variation may be allowed but the range of consistency is reasonably critical if it is to perform its purpose.

In addition to the paste product, I use an emulsion in combination with paste to practice the novel method. The emulsion is applied over the paste as awetting agent after the paste is applied to the denture base. Water alone will not disperse over and cover the paste-covered surface because the paste is a water repellant and water alone will disperse as isolated globules. When applied in the emulsion, however, the water disperses and flows evenly over the entire paste-covered surface. Since the paste is repelled by water, this keeps it from sticking to the tissues of the mouth. The emulsion does not dissolve the paste but is compatible therewith as a wetting agent. It may be applied by spraying or other convenient means. The emulsion supplements the natural saliva in the mouth as a separating agent. The quantity and characteristic of a patients saliva varies so that often the saliva present is not by itself adequate as a wetting agent. The emulsion must be non-irritating, tasteless or of acceptable taste, and non-toxic. If desired, flavor and a sterilizing agent may be added thereto.

It is not necessary that any particular emulsion be used but the emulsion must have the above recited characteristics. I have found the following emulsion satisfactory. I use a silicone base sold by Dow-Corning under the designation EC5027. The characteristics of EC-5027 are as follows: It is a stable aqueous, milk-white emulsion containing silicone. It is relatively inert physiologically, and has little or no tendency to break up and form globules even under such dilutions. Another silicone emulsion, EF-209 containing 35% edible silicones may be used but it is not as effective. Either one, however, is an effective anti-foaming agent and carries the water evenly over the paste-covered surface thereby acting as a separator since the paste will not stick to wet surfaces.

The silicone base is mixed in solution with 2 0 to 50 parts more or less of water to 1 part of the silicone base. This proportion is not critical and may be varied without departing from the teaching of my invention. This fluid composition readily distributes over the paste-coated surface and acts as a wetting agent to supplement the saliva. It prevents the paste from adhering to the tissues of the mouth when pressure is applied to record premature contact.

Utilizing the combination of materials or substances previously described, the method of my invention is practiced in a relatively simple and expeditious manner. The object to be fitted is first thoroughly dried and then the paste is applied to the previously formed inlay, denture base, clasp or frame works by using a brush, or a finger or the like. I prefer to use a brush with relatively coarse bristles so as to leave brush marks. The paste is applied as a very thin film. After its application, the paste is sprayed with the emulsion. The mouth may also be sprayed to supplement the saliva. When thus prepared, the denture base is pressed into place in the patients mouth. Firm pressure should be applied and if desired the patient may make movements of the mouth so as to determine if discomfort or pressures are present in various positions. In the areas of undue pressure, the emulsion coated paste will be displaced so that when the denture is removed, the areas of premature contact'show through and the dentist may quickly and correctly determine the areas requiring alteration. After the area requiring correction has been determined, the area may be ground or otherwise altered to remove the pressurecausing portion. After grinding, the paste may be removed by a cellulose tissure or cloth. The process should be repeated until the proper or desired fit is acquired.

The essence of the problem resides in the requirement that the material used must have a rather critical consistency. It must not-be so thick that itrdisorients the denture base by its thickness or so thin that it runs or smears. Furthermore, it is essential that the consistency remain the same regardless of external influences such as room temperature. Inherent to the solution of the problem is the necessity that despite the property of extreme flowability, the materials used to indicate pressure areas must stick to dry areas but must not stick to wet ones. These requirements I have provided for with the described materials.

Though I have described certain materials to be utilized in practicing my new and improved method, it is to be understood that other materials having the same characteristics, consistency and compatibility may be used if desired. Likewise, the specific materials are critical on obtaining the desired result, the invention resides in using a combination of materials or products, heretofore not used, which have certain herein described characteristics, which, when used in combination, make is possible to quickly, easily and without extensive instruction to obtain the desired and satisfactory results relative to these particular problems in the practicing of dentistry.

What I claim is:

1. A method of fitting denture bases or the like, comprising drying an object to be fitted, applying a thin layer of a paste-like silicone compound which is readily pressure displaceable and which is water repellent to the tissue-engaging surfaces of the object, effecting the dispersion of a silicone emulsion which is a wetting agent over substantially the entire surface of said thin layer of compound whereby moisture persent in the mouth of a patient disperses evenly over the covered surface to thereby minimize adhesion of the compound to tissues of the mouth, placing the object into place in a patients mouth and applying pressure to the object, removing the object from the patients mouth and grinding away areas of the object indicated as being pressure causing portions.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said thin layer of paste-like silicone compound is applied with a brush so as to leave brush marks in said layer.

3. In combination, a denture device to be fitted, a thin layer of paste-like silicone compound disposed on the tissue-engaging surfaces of said device, said compound being readily pressure displaceable and being water repellent, and a silicone emulsion covering substantially the entire surface of said layer, said silicone emulsion being a wetting agent, the silicone emulsion serving when the device is disposed in a patients mouth to disperse moisture present in the mouth evenly over the covered surface of the device to thereby minimize adhesion of the compound to the tissues of the mouth when removing the object from the patients mouth.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,790,237 Chaiken Apr. 30, 1957 

